John's blog - www.johnvhansen.com - Cape, Thehttp://www.johnvhansen.com/jvh/blog/index.cfm
John V. Hansen's blogen-usThu, 22 Feb 2018 02:08:16 -0700Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:11:00 -0700BlogCFChttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssno-reply@johnvhansen.comno-reply@johnvhansen.comno-reply@johnvhansen.comJohn's blog - www.johnvhansen.comhttp://www.johnvhansen.com/jvh/blog/index.cfm
noNBC makes the right call: ‘The Cape’ cancelledhttp://www.johnvhansen.com/jvh/blog/index.cfm/2011/3/13/NBC-makes-the-right-call-The-Cape-cancelled
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I've tried to keep this blog positive over the last couple years, and although the title of my 300th post sounds like a mean jab at a failed TV show, I'm actually going to celebrate this milestone blog entry by saying something that never gets said by TV-geek bloggers when talking about a network: <a href="http://www.hulu.com/the-cape" target="_blank">"The Cape's"</a> short run was handled with perfect fairness by NBC.
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"The Cape" was given substantial hype by NBC, it was given a fair run (nine episodes on air plus one online), and it wasn't a success creatively or ratings-wise, so therefore it was canceled. Sci-fi fans have no business crying foul about this one. "The Cape" wasn't a good show, and if a show isn't good through 10 episodes, it's not going to get good.
The elephant in "The Cape's" room -- the fact that The Cape is clearly Vince Faraday, and therefore everyone should recognize this when they meet him -- only became more distracting as the series wore on, and it seemed like the writers had no intention of doing anything about the problem. In what turned out to be the series finale, Vince, disguised only by a hood and eye-mask, speaks with his best friend face to face, and the friend doesn't make the connection. Neither does Vince's wife or son; the son, in fact, had met The Cape -- hiding behind a thin veil of smoke -- several times before that on his rooftop.
The double-identity thing works for Superman and Batman because they've been grandfathered in from the innocent days of four-color comics. Also, you could make a case that Clark Kent is a mild-mannered reporter and Bruce Wayne is a rich playboy, so people's minds just don't make the leap. It's like when you see someone you know, but they are out of the context where you usually see them. Suddenly you are stumped. It's a tenuous argument, I know, but it allows for suspension of disbelief if we like the rest of what we see in the "Batman" or "Superman" stories.
But Vince was a crime-fighting cop and The Cape is a crime-fighting superhero who does nothing to disguise his voice. Granted, Vince was presumed dead in an explosion, but that's a thin argument when you see the interactions play out on "The Cape." Outtakes must certainly exist where an actor breaks from the script and says, "Wait a minute, I know you ..." That should've been an actual scene a few episodes into the series.
With "The Cape," I always wanted to like it, but I never quite did. My favorite episode was "Dice" (most episodes were named after the villain of the week), where Mena Suvari played the sexy title character who used her knack for predicting outcomes to nearly snuff supervillain Chess. But the other villains weren't as good, the heroes were under-developed, and although the tone was mostly serious, too many uncomfortable moments of camp threw it off the rails.
The Onion AV Club had a blast bashing "The Cape," and I don't blame them, but even they had to recognize the bizarre conundrum of this disappointing show: The actors were actually quite good. David Lyons showed leading-man presence, Keith David brought his usual gravitas and James Frain was an excellent villain. Vinnie Jones seemed a little off because he played his villain for camp value when no one else was, but that doesn't necessary mean he was in the wrong.
Summer Glau came off the blandest of all the actors, which just goes to show that writing is much more important than acting if you want to make a quality TV show, because we know Glau can knock it out of the park. Previously, though, she had gotten fastballs from the writers -- "Firefly," "Sarah Connor," her guest stint on "Dollhouse." Here, she takes a pitch outside and in the dirt (especially in that episode where she sits paralyzed in a chair while The Lich fawns over her). The "Cape" writers just hadn't gotten around to developing super-blogging orphan Orwell, and frankly, I doubt they had any great tricks up their sleeves.
Despite its flaws, I consider "The Cape" a noble failure. I was looking forward to two shows this midseason, and "Mr. Sunshine," although obviously a better show than "The Cape," is the more disappointing entry to me, and that's why I dumped it after three episodes. "The Cape" wasn't an imitation of current shows; its biggest influence was "Batman," but three years removed from "The Dark Knight," it never felt like it was trying to cash in on a trend. On the other hand, "Mr. Sunshine" is interchangeable with about 10 other sitcoms on the air right now.
So yeah, NBC got it right. They took a chance on an ambitious show, they gave it a fair shot, it was bad, and they canceled it. It's so often done the other way (good shows mistreated and eventually canceled, bad shows hyped up and kept around) that it's refreshing to point out that this project was handled with fairness and dignity.
TelevisionCape, TheSun, 13 Mar 2011 22:11:00 -0700http://www.johnvhansen.com/jvh/blog/index.cfm/2011/3/13/NBC-makes-the-right-call-The-Cape-cancelled‘No Ordinary Family’ vs. ‘The Cape’: Which is the better superhero show?http://www.johnvhansen.com/jvh/blog/index.cfm/2011/2/9/No-Ordinary-Family-vs-The-Cape-Which-is-the-better-superhero-show
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Which is the superior superhero show -- <a href="http://www.hulu.com/the-cape" target="_blank">"The Cape"</a> (8 p.m. Central Mondays on NBC) or <a href="http://www.hulu.com/no-ordinary-family" target="_blank">"No Ordinary Family"</a> (7 p.m. Central Tuesdays on ABC)? It's a close call; I like both shows and have problems with both shows in roughly equal measure. So let's break it down by category.
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Mythology
On "NOF," the Powells crash into a Brazilian lake and come back from their truncated vacation with superpowers. Then they -- and we -- meet other superpowered people, including Katie's beau Josh, a shifty shapeshifter and a guy who turns into a puff of smoke. Stephanie and Katie's boss at the lab, Dr. King, is definitely behind all the supervillainy, but we don't really know why.
On "The Cape," Vince is framed for being supervillain Chess by the actual Chess, Peter Fleming. Fleming runs ARK, a corporation which has taken over Palm City's police force and is aiming for more. Vince doesn't have to fight Fleming alone, though: He meets Orwell, who exposes Fleming's misdeeds via her blog, and a troupe of circus performers who teach Vince how to use a magic cape, how to walk a tightrope and how to hypnotize people.
Advantage: "The Cape"
Heroes
Other than having superpowers and secretly fighting crime, the Powells are an ordinary family. But for all their suburban Americana typicality and earnest moralizing, they are easy to like. This is due to the actors: Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Kay Panabaker and the kid who plays J.J. And there's Autumn Reeser's Katie -- the pretty, comic-book fan lab assistant -- and her boyfriend, who used to work for the supervillain but has now gone to the good side. At first, I found Josh Stewart's sleepy-eyed performance to be the height of clichéd villainy, but now that he's a good guy, it works for me.
On "The Cape," there's always the danger that Vince can get too broody and clichéd, but David Lyons has mostly avoided this. Summer Glau has been underused as Orwell. Keith David is a scenery chewer, in a good way, as the circus leader; we don't know much about the rest of his troupe yet. The scenes with Vince's wife and son are always momentum-stoppers.
Advantage: "No Ordinary Family"
Villains
As noted, "NOF" has Dr. King, who is a vague, forgettable bad guy. Other supervillains have popped up, along with run-of-the-mill thieves, but none of them has left an impression.
"The Cape," perhaps learning from the mistake of "Heroes" (which had a roughly 10-to-1 ratio of heroes to villains), introduces a new baddie every week; in fact, the title of each episode is the name of the villain. As played by the charismatic James Frain, Peter Fleming/Chess is a worthy supervillain. I also like Mena Suvari's Dice, who is the Catwoman to The Cape's Batman in the sense that she is neither an enemy nor an ally. "The Cape" is assembling a respectable rogues gallery.
Advantage: "The Cape"
Production value
"NOF" is crisp and colorful, and it always strikes the right tone: Slightly funny, even when it's being serious, like in a scene where Jim is criticizing J.J. for abusing his super-intelligence powers, or when Daphne reads someone's mind and learns something pseudo-shocking. With Greg Berlanti ("Dawson's Creek," "Everwood") and John Harmon Feldman ("Dawson's Creek," "American Dreams") at the helm, there's an air of experienced professionalism behind this show.
The tone of "The Cape" was all over the place in early episodes. Is it supposed to be broody or funny? Dark or light? Obviously, it's allowed to be both, but the balance was initially awkward. Some CGI shots, like The Cape fighting atop a train, aren't entirely crisp, and the cinematography strikes me a grainy rather than coolly dark. Novice showrunner Tom Wheeler is learning as he goes.
Advantage: "No Ordinary Family"
Future potential
"NOF" has gone to the "Jim comes upon a theft and goes vigilante while trying not to be found out" well several times. The "kids taking advantage of their superpowers" plot is another favorite. The familiar nature of these plots makes for light, entertaining viewing. But in the last episode, Daphne developed the power to influence people's minds, rather than merely reading them, so perhaps "NOF" is turning a corner into more challenging territory.
I find myself analyzing episodes of "The Cape" a bit more. The characters are a bit more mysterious; we know little about Orwell or the Vince's circus allies, and every time a villain is introduced, it enriches this fictional world. Individual episodes of "NOF" may be stronger, but I feel like "The Cape" has a grander overall plan. It could go down in flames, of course, but it could also be kind of great.
Advantage: "The Cape"
Verdict
"The Cape" gets a slight 3-2 edge under this categorical analysis. "No Ordinary Family" is the more polished show with more huggable characters, and it ranks higher in the IMDB ratings (7.5 to 6.2), something I have no problem with. Indeed, I would say it's the superior show at this point. However, "The Cape" has developed a richer world; it seems like a more substantial show than "NOF," even though it's also more flawed. I have a good sense of what Palm City is like; I can't even recall what city "NOF" is set in. While "The Cape" certainly trails in character development, it has also aired fewer episodes, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt on that score.
Perhaps the best way to rate a show is to say "How much would I miss it if it was canceled?" Right now, I would miss "NOF" more, because I love the characters. But I would bemoan the lost potential of what "The Cape" could've been.
I also can't ignore the ratings-driven reality that "The Cape" will probably not last beyond 10 episodes, whereas "NOF" seems like it will get at least one full season. So "The Cape" has taken on the role of the underdog, and I can't help rooting for it.
Any fans of "No Ordinary Family" or "The Cape" out there? Which do you prefer? Share your thoughts below.
TelevisionNo Ordinary FamilyCape, TheWed, 09 Feb 2011 16:36:00 -0700http://www.johnvhansen.com/jvh/blog/index.cfm/2011/2/9/No-Ordinary-Family-vs-The-Cape-Which-is-the-better-superhero-showFirst episode impressions: ‘The Cape’http://www.johnvhansen.com/jvh/blog/index.cfm/2011/1/10/First-episode-impressions-The-Cape
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Here are my first impressions of Sunday's two-hour premiere of <a href="http://www.hulu.com/the-cape" target="_blank">"The Cape,"</a> which will switch to its regular timeslot, at 8 p.m. Central Mondays on NBC, starting next week.
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1. Summer Glau is onboard here in all her Summer Glau-ness. I was a bit worried that -- after complex roles in "Firefly" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" -- she'd just be sitting in front of a computer in "The Cape." I shouldn't have worried. Although Orwell, Palm City's resident underground blogger, does sit in front of a high-tech, 3-D computer screen and serve as the Eyes Only to The Cape's Max ("Dark Angel" reference), she can also hold her own in the field, as shown when she rescues The Cape and later goes undercover as a food critic. Kudos to "The Cape" for recognizing Glau's versatility as an actress and action star.
2. Former police officer Vince Faraday (David Lyons) -- a.k.a. The Cape -- misses his family. That would be a cue for yawning or groaning, except that the scenes of him reading the "Cape" comic book to his son are really cute. So the show actually earns the cliché.
3. The first two hours introduce three villains. Chess is like Palm City's version of "Star Wars' " Senator Palpatine, manipulating the pieces so he'll gain more and more power. We see him manipulating icons on a 3-D computer, which shows that he literally thinks in this fashion; his company, ARK, has already taken control of the city's police force. Cain is Chess' sidekick, a French hitman who specializes in poisoning people. And Scales is known for the scales on his face.
4. "The Cape" doesn't feature superpowers (in that sense, The Cape is like Batman), but it does feature magic. Vince meets a troupe of underground carnies, led by Max Malini (Keith David), who teaches him how to use an old magician robe to fight crime. Also, there's a little person thug and a hypnotist -- in a training montage, we see that Vince masters hypnotism because he manages to dress the hypnotist in women's underwear. Also part of the troupe is a girl who thinks Vince is cute; we don't know much about her yet.
5. "The Cape" is visually dark, but it has a warmth to it because Vince Faraday is not as lonely and isolated as Bruce Wayne. Rather than relying on a private fortune and retreating to a mansion, he relies on friends (although both Orwell -- who is thrilled to have a crime fighter to work with -- and the bank-robbing circus clan do seem to have a lot of dough) and retreats to an abandoned apartment building where he has set up shop. With the way Chess is cleaning up Palm City, that seems a little risky (couldn't he stay with the Malinis, or perhaps Orwell has a spare bedroom?).
6. Next week's episode will feature Mena Suvari, who I liked about a decade ago in movies like "American Pie" and "Loser." It'll be nice to see her finally return to acting.
Verdict: Although there is a "Yet another superhero show" vibe hanging over the proceedings, "The Cape" still worked for me. Take Summer Glau out of the equation and I might not be saying that, I admit, but I like the other characters too. Between "The Cape" and "No Ordinary Family," this TV season has featured a mini-resurgence of a seemingly played-out genre. I'll definitely be tuning in for a while.
TelevisionCape, TheMon, 10 Jan 2011 14:30:00 -0700http://www.johnvhansen.com/jvh/blog/index.cfm/2011/1/10/First-episode-impressions-The-Cape